Advent 2024 - Week 4: Love

I love you. I love you so much.

I want to I want to preach it's not really

a Christmas message, even though I'm taking a Christmas text today.

And you know, I just I'm one of those strange

I guess people that just because it's Christmas, I don't

necessarily feel obligated to preach it from a Christmas text

or to preach a Christmas message. I just believe we

preach what the Lord puts in our hearts to preach Amen.

And today it is coming from a Christmas passage, and

I believe it will be applicable to you for this

time of the year. But if you got a Bible,

go to Luke chapter two. Luke chapter two. I think

that today, if I have to give today a title,

the title of today would be be Quiet, Be Quiet,

Luke chapter two, verse one. And it came to pass

in those days that a decree went out from Caesar

Augustus that all the world should be registered. The census

first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria, so all

went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph

also went up from Galilee out of the city of

Nazareth into Judea to the city of David, which is

called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage

of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife,

who was with child. So it was that while the

while they were there, the days were completed for her

to be delivered. And she brought forth her first born

son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him

in a manger, because there.

Was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same Now there were in

the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping

watch over their flock by night. And behold, an Angel

of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of

the Lord shone all around them, and they were greatly afraid.

Then the angels said to them, do not be afraid, for.

Behold, I'll bring you good tidings of great joy, which

will be to all people. For there is born to

you this day in the city of David, a savior

who is Christ, the Lord Father. We thank you for

your word. It's the only change agent on the face

of this planet. And I pray that today you impress

upon us plant deep within us Lord the spiritual discipline

and principle A stillness and quietness. Lord, I pray that

every single one of us leaves here today just looking

a little more like you than we came in.

Father, We love you and we thank you in Jesus' name. Amen.

You know this is this is like the famous one, right,

I mean, this is the one that we act out

and all of the kids plays. You know, depending on

what the budget is year, we might even have a

live mule that we you know, and I have some

sheep and some goats on the stage, you know that we.

Lean in and that we lead in.

And this is the one where there's this scene of

Joseph and Mary there sitting by the little manger that

we tacked together.

We're finishing nails.

Come on, somebody'll y'all know the place that I'm talking about,

and uh that there's hay everywhere, and everybody in the

congregation's eyes are running and sneeze them because hay fever

in the middle of December. And this is like, this

is like the picture of Christmas. But the reality is

that that is us looking back on it. It's the

significance of being a believer on this side of the cross,

looking back to an event that we were absolutely sure

of because it was written and canonized in scripture. But

living in it in that day, that first c Christmus

didn't look very different than any other day. As a

matter of fact, There's people showing up into Bethlehem.

From all over Israel.

People are coming there because that was the place where

anyone of the lineage of David would go to be registered.

And all of these strangers are in town, and listen,

it was a heyday of prosperity for the people of Bethlehem.

All the restaurants and all the hotels, and all of

the hardware stores and all of those things were booming

with business because the population had shot up, and there

was not even one single room left for Mary and

Joseph to rent when they got there to be registered.

It was a time of busyness, and the excitement and.

The energy in the streets had.

To be palpable because this was something that they hadn't

seen before, these people flooding into the tiny little town

of Bethlehem. See, in our minds, because we're looking back

from this side of the cross, we think that Bethlehem

was this focal point, that it was this place that

surely God would have picked the most significant town, the

most significant place for his son to be born. But

the reality is is Bethlehem was just a sleepy little place.

Was just a sleepy little place in the middle of

a sleepy little place. And people were excited because there

was an opportunity that there hadn't been. And in the

midst of all the excitement and people walking by and

to and from, up and down the streets, and all

of the exchange of wealth that was happening in a barn,

in the midst of the noise and the busyness, Jesus.

Made his very first sound.

I want you, if you can, just to use your

imagination for just a moment, what it must have been

like to all of creation when the Christ Child made

that first whimper. For four hundred years, God's people had

been in a time of silence. See, we don't understand

that when we read the Old Testament and we go

straight from Malachi and we jump straight into the New Testament,

that there have been four hundred years that have passed

where there was no prophetic voice of God, that God

didn't speak to his people, just four hundred years of silence,

where people undered where God had gone, and creation was

waited with baited anticipation, poised for something. They knew something

was stirring, they knew something was moving, and then the

cry of a baby, that small.

Still sound.

To send an echo through all of creation. I wish

I had been there in that moment. I wish I

had just been a little stable boy just standing by len.

If I had just been able to be there, I

believe I could have talked somebody into giving them a room.

I believe I had been there, it would have been

different because I would have run out somewhere and I

would have got him a little bit better, come on, somebody.

But the reality, if I was alive in that day,

I would have been, like everybody else, so busy that

I missed what was happening, that I missed Jesus showing

up on the scene. Because see that the only people

that recognized that Jesus was born were some shepherds that

were out in the field at night tending their flocks.

And the only reason they knew it was happening is

because they were quiet and they were still.

I wonder how many times we miss Jesus showing up

because we're so.

Busy, because we live our lives at such an incredible

volume and pace that we're busy gathering the prosperity of

the world and Jesus cries in a manger right on

the other side of a door.

That we're walking by during.

This season and listen, it's like starting today, it's like

break neckt speed. I've even thought about maybe calling Guinness

to follow me around it, because I believe my schedule

during the holiday seasons could be in the Guinness Book

of World Records for the most busy person. It's like

a mad dash from now until New Year's and everything

that we have to cram in and listen, it's so busy,

and I'm starting to look and I see people sitting

out there, and I'm already remembering things that I already

forgot to do. I see Lisa, and I forgot that

I was supposed to go pick up chicken feed. Come on, somebody,

I see. I see Jeremy sitting there, and I just

realized that, Hey, he called me and I never called

him back.

And here's the reality is, is.

This moment, when I'm standing on this stage preaching to you,

is one of the slowest moments of my life.

That's where I can.

Receive just the magnitude of what God's doing, and my

spiritual censors are turned on because I'm not worried about this,

and I'm not running over there and I'm not doing this.

I'm not doing that.

Because I know that really, as long as I'm done

by twelve o seven, you guys are hanging. But until

twelve o seven, we're good. I wonder how many times

your miracle, the very presence of God, ready to change creation,

to change lives forever, is making a sound and we

walk by because we can't hear them.

What if we lived our lives? What if we What

if we.

Practiced the discipline that came so natural to those shepherds.

What if we practice that natural spiritual discipline of solitude

and isolation. What if we carved into our daily schedules

not another time to read a book that's going to

help me do something else, or another time just to

make another self come on somebody? Or what if I

didn't just what if I wasn't just following my kids

around picking up toys every moment of every day. What

if I realized that God may be speaking and I'm

so busy in my life, is so loud that I

can't hear him, and I need to be more like

a shepherd and less like the owner of the end,

because there may not be any room for.

Him in my heart. I'm just throwing a question. I mean,

I know I'm not talking to you, guys.

I mean, I know you you're the greatest people in

the world and you're in love with Jesus. But I'm

just maybe maybe there's an idea here that you can

pull from that if we built into our day, if

we just blocked out fifteen minutes where we didn't chase

the kids. What if there was just fifteen minutes where

we turned off talk radio and different people saying the

same thing, just depending on which side of that political

aisle you said. Or what if you just turned off

talk radio for fifteen minutes and instead of listening to that,

you just listen and.

For the Lord.

What if we prioritized our time with Jesus. I want

you to think back and those early times. If you

have a significant other, if you're married, if you've been married,

if you have a relationship, when you first started your

dating life, those very first dates, those dates, they were

full of entertainment. You went to the movies. Come on, somebody.

You went to a nice popping restaurant, you went to

a concert, and it was full of entertainment. But the

longer you were together, the quieter your date's got. Because

the more you fall in love, the more you will

solitude and isolation with the person you love. But that's

not necessarily the case with our relationship with Jesus. As

a matter of fact, we think the pinnacle of our

relationship with Jesus is when we come in pastor claims

he does a little smoother than me, But that's the

same move, and my hair doesn't give it the effect, right.

But we think that's like the apex of our relationship

with Jesus. But that's like the early stages where we

still need entertainment to give us something to do, because

we don't really know each other well enough to talk

to one another and to begin to move into that

different level of intimacy and the sharing of identity.

See.

I think the apex of our relationship with Jesus is

those first few moments in the morning where we wake

up and it's still and quiet in the house and

there's nothing else going on, and those are the most

significant moments I've ever had with the Lord are in

those quiet still moments where he says hard, difficult things

that change me forever.

You know, I think that that.

One of the most powerful passages of Scripture. PS I'm

forty six, Verse ten.

Be still and know that I am God.

We think that the way we know he's God, or

the great exploits and the flambuoyant moves and all of

those things that happened. But he says, Hey, if you

want to know that I'm God.

Be still.

Just sit right there and I'll show you who I am.

Moses talked to God and he said, I want to

I want to see your face. God, show me your

show me your glory, show me your faith. And Moses said,

go stand in the cleft of the rock. Go isolate yourself.

I'm gonna put my hand upon you, and I'll pass by.

And as Moses was isolated in a cave in the

cleft of the rock, God passed by. And it says

that Moses only saw his hinder parts, and it changed

him forever, because was it that he saw God's face.

He had only seen where God had been. Because even

if we only see where God has been, it's enough

to change it forever.

And it's in those moments.

Where God profoundly speaks to us, where he shows up

in the world, our world, and he makes a sound.

Be still and know that I'm God. I will be

exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the

earth if you just be still. Because when we're still,

we're changed. And when we're changed, people see the change.

We give you a real definition of the word grace.

We give you a definition that we can live out

every day. Grace is an inward action with an outward manifestation.

Grace does something on the inside of me that people

see on the outside of me. If I feel different

on the inside but there's no change on the outside,

haven't had a full grace collision yet. I'm not fully

captivated by grace. And we are captivated by grace when

we still, when we spend those moments with Christ and

there's nothing else, just me and him, and we realize

his graciousness towards us, that He's leaning in no matter

what's going on. You know, we developed the habit of

entertainment with Christ. Usually when we start moving away from Him.

That in those early days of our salvation, experience. It

feels like he's so close, and then we mess up

and we're embarrassed, and then we mess up again, and well,

we're embarrassed. Then we mess up again and we think

I'm just a bad person and I'm never going to

be able to figure this thing out. The reality is,

if we only had that quiet time where we climbed

up in the lap of the Father, he would look

at us and say, listen, you're my son. I created you.

I know your weaknesses, I know the areas that the

enemy's going to attack, and it's okay. I love you,

and I'm gonna keep drawing you close, and we're gonna

get over that.

And we're gonna get past that.

And pretty soon those things that are making you stumble,

you're hurtling over in People are noticing the incredible spiritual

vertical leap you have because you're clearing those hurdles, and

it's amazing to people that the things you used to

stumble over now are a launching pad for you to

get noticed. That sets you as a city on a hill.

Be still and know that I am God. In Exodus

chapter fourteen, we have this narrative Moses has gone in

to Egypt, and the plagues have come, and Pharaoh has

told the children of just go, just go. The first

born have died, and it's a bad situation. And now

Israel has left Egypt. They get down to the Red

Sea and Pharaoh has realized what's happened, and he has

sent his army to kill Israel there by the seashore.

And we pick up in Exodus chapter fourteen, and it

says and Moses said to the people, do not be afraid.

This is what's happening in the crowd. The crowd is saying,

listen that dust is Pharaoh's army. When they get here,

they're gonna kill us. And they have a listen. The

people of Israel during the Exodus were the most passive

aggressive people that I have ever read about or seen in.

My entire life.

This is what they said to Moses. Weren't there any

graves in Egypt, buddy? Why did you bring us to

the desert to die? We could have died there in

the comfort of our own home. They're really smart Alecs,

and somehow God loved them.

Anyway.

If God loved them and their passive aggressiveness, he can

certainly love most of.

You I'll let y'all sort that statement out on your own.

And they say to Moses, listen, we're gonna turn around

and go back. We're gonna go back, and we're gonna

meet the army so that they see that we're on

our way back, and maybe they'll spare us if they

realize that you let us astray. So now we're going

back where we should be. We're going back to bondage.

Do you know that a lot of times we start

moving back towards bondage because it's the rational thing in

our minds to do.

It was easier.

Then well, listen, listen, that's a better coping mechanism than

trusting God.

Oh when I was doing that, I didn't have that.

When I was over there, I didn't have the struggles

that I have over here. And in response, God tells Moses, listen,

this is what you tell them, he says, and Moses

said to the people, do not be afraid. Stand still,

don't go back, don't go back.

Just be still and know that he is God.

Don't try to figure it out, don't rationalize it. Don't

lean into his understanding, not yours, because your understanding is limited,

and he knows everything. Just get it some quiet time

with him, and he will tell you what to do.

You know, there's been times in my life where I've

had a problem, I've been faced with a problem, and

I see someone who's overcome those problems, someone that has

achieved great things. And I have called those people and said, listen,

I will pay you to go to lunch with me

if I can just bend your ear for an hour.

I don't mean I'll just buy your lunch. I will

buy your lunch, and I will pay you to go

to lunch with me because you have some words that

I need to hear, because I can't do it on

the phone because they're busy and I'm busy, and there's

all these distractions. But if I can get at a

table by myself, I can get some input into my

situation and my circumstance. Jesus knows it all. You just

need to get at a table with him by yourself,

so he can give you a little input.

Will input into.

Your situation, in your circumstance, you know what, he might

be able to cure that bitterness you're dealing with. Stand

still and see the salvation of the Lord.

It's in stillness that God shows up and shows out

see the salvation.

Of the Lord which he will accomplish for you today. Listen,

the thing you're struggling with. Here's the word of God

for you, for the Egyptians whom you see today, Clay,

you guys can come and get ready for this problem

that you see today, if you'll just stand still, if

you'll just be still, if you'll just carve out a

little time to have some loneliness with God. This problem

you see today, these Egyptians you see today, you shall

see a getting to know more forever. Oh, I think

somebody missed that. Somebody said the problem. If you'll just

be still, the problem you have today, after today.

You're not gonna see them anymore.

You're not gonna see them anymore, because I'm gonna give

you some wisdom that you didn't know existed.

Because up until this moment.

In time, before they stood still, they didn't know that

the Red Sea could part and they could walk across

on dry land.

They just simply didn't know it.

Because in the quiet times with God, we find out

that the natural.

Rules don't apply anymore.

See it's in those quiet times with God that those

supernatural thoughts are birthed and we realize God can do

things that are outside conventional wisdom. Listen, the thing you

face today, you will prioritize solitude quiet time, God says, Listen,

those problems you face to make today tomorrow, You're never

gonna see them again because I'm gonna drown.

Them in the solution.

I'm going to drown them in the journey. I'm going

to drown them in the path that only I can create.

I'm going to drown them on.

Your way to purpose.

I'm gonna drown all the things that have been killing

your purpose today, and you're never going.

To see them again. Be still.

And know that I am God, the Lord will fight

for you, and you shall hold your peace.

I wish i'd been there to hear that first.

Sound, my second, my secret place. If I couldn't be

in the manger, I would have liked to have been

an eyewitness. I wish I could have seen the Devil's face.

When that first.

Because it shot terror through the Kingdom of Hell, because

there had never been a cry like that before, there

had never been a piercing of darkness.

Like that.

Right, He's just waiting on you to set.

A date with him so he can reveal freedom to you.

Everybody staying with me, if you're here today, I can't

think of any better way to welcome the.

Christmas season.

Than to ask Jesus to show up right in the

middle of your situation.

Listen, I know that to.

Some of us in this room today, we don't feel

that closeness to the Lord that we once felt. We

don't feel that that nearness that we once felt. Whether

it's sin or busyness, or complications or heard or brokenness,

whatever it is, things have come between us and that relationship,

and today we need to come back to him. We

need to re establish those quiet times so we can

get to know Him all over again. Alter team, come

and get ready. If that's you and you say, hey,

I'm ready to I'm ready to come back.

Listen. I don't care if it's sin.

Or if it's trauma, that it's called separation doesn't matter.

Doesn't matter is that you come back to him today.

If you've never asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins, you.

Never ask him to be the Lord of your life.

This is that moment. Now is that time for you

to come to Jesus and give him your life.

It's on the count of three, I'm going to ask

you to make your make your way out of your seat,

find one of these prayer warriors. You can just come

back to the Lord and close that distance. On the

count of three, step out and move one, two, three,

come on, step out and move and fask you. I

need I need to make things right between me and

the Lord. I know there's distance. I'm just not as

close as I used to be.

Come on, come on, come on, come on.

Sure she's gonna come and again to serve your communion,

but listen, come the altars open past your clay. Yeah,